US embassy cable - 02ROME783

C O N F I D E N T I A L ROME 000783 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2012 
TAGS: IT, PREL, ITALIAN POLITICS 
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR'S LUNCHEON WITH PRESIDENT CIAMPI 
 
 
CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR MEL SEMBLER FOR REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D) 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: IN A PRIVATE LUNCHEON, ITALIAN PRESIDENT 
CIAMPI EXPRESSED HIS DEEP CONCERN OVER A DETERIORATING 
SITUATION BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS. HE MADE A 
DETAILED ARGUMENT THAT ITALY CAN AND MUST BE BOTH PRO EUROPE 
AND PRO US, WITH WHICH I AGREED. CIAMPI WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE 
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TO VISIT WASHINGTON FOR A MEETING WITH PRESIDENT BUSH; I 
STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2. (U) ITALIAN PRESIDENT CARLO AZEGLIA CIAMPI INVITED ME TO A 
PRIVATE LUNCHEON FEB 12.  TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, IT WAS THE FIRST 
TIME HE HAS EXTENDED SUCH AN INVITATION TO ANY AMBASSADOR. 
THE DCM AND ANTONIO PURI PURINI, THE PRESIDENT'S DIPLOMATIC 
ADVISOR, ALSO ATTENDED, ALONG WITH PRESIDENCY SECRETARY 
GENERAL GIFUNI. 
 
3. (C) CIAMPI DESCRIBED ITALY'S RELATIONS WITH THE US AS 
"FUNDAMENTAL".  HOWEVER GOOD THE RELATIONS WITH THE US ARE, 
ADDED CIAMPI, THEY MUST GO, IN LARGE PART, VIA THE EU.  THIS 
SAID, ITALY'S RELATIONS WITH THE EU AND WITH THE US ARE NOT 
IN COMPETITION.  I SAID THAT THE US UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE 
OF A STRONG EUROPE AND SUPPORTED IT.  DURING LAST WEEK'S 
VISIT TO ROME, NATO AMB. NICK BURNS UNDERLINED HOW MUCH WE 
APPRECIATED THE LEADERSHIP ITALY IS BRINGING TO NATO, AND THE 
ACTIVE ROLE ITALY PLAYS IN THE BALKANS AND IN AFGHANISTAN. 
ITALY'S RELATIONS WITH THE EU DO NOT THREATEN ITS TIES WITH 
THE US. 
 
4. (C) CIAMPI DWELT ON ITALY'S SPECIAL INTEREST IN ITS 
IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORS IN THE BALKANS, THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH 
AFRICA.  SOUND WESTERN INVESTMENT AND ASSISTANCE IN THOSE 
REGIONS NOT ONLY REDUCES THE PRESSURE FOR EMIGRATION TO 
EUROPE, BUT ALSO UNDERMINES THE INFLUENCE OF FUNDAMENTALISM. 
HE NOTED THAT HE RECENTLY HAD TOLD BOTH KOSOVO LEADER RUGOVA 
AND MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT DJUKANOVIC THAT ITALY OPPOSES 
INDEPENDENCE FOR THOSE ENTITIES.  A NEW CROP OF BALKAN 
"MINI-STATES" IS IN NO ONE'S INTEREST; THEY WOULD BE 
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OFFSHOOTS OF THE "MALIGNANT SEED OF NATIONALISM." 
 
5. (C) ON THE MIDDLE EAST, CIAMPI EXPRESSED HIS DEEP  CONCERN 
OVER THE DETERIORATING SITUATION IN GENERAL AND SHARON'S 
APPROACH IN PARTICULAR.  I EMPHASIZED THAT PRESIDENT BUSH IS 
DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THE SITUATION, AND  THAT HE WOULD LIKE 
THE EU AND THE US TO SPEAK WITH A SINGLE VOICE ON THE MIDDLE 
EAST: THE VIOLENCE MUST STOP; AND THEN THE PEACE PROCESS CAN 
RESTART.  CIAMPI SAID THAT THE US IS THE ONLY POWER ABLE OF 
BRINGING BOTH PARTIES TOGETHER, BUT ADMITTED THAT IT IS VERY 
DIFFICULT TO DO SO UNDER THE CURRENT ATMOSPHERE OF VIOLENCE. 
 
6. (C) CIAMPI, NOW IN HIS THIRD YEAR AS PRESIDENT, SAID THAT 
THE ONLY OFFICIAL VISIT HE HAD EVER MADE TO WASHINGTON WAS IN 
SEPTEMBER 1993 WHEN HE WAS PRIME MINISTER. PURI PURINI SAID 
THAT CIAMPI WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO AGREE ASAP ON A DATE FOR 
A VISIT TO WASHINGTON, IDEALLY THIS FALL. I REPLIED THAT 
SURELY IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO HAVE A STATE VISIT, BUT AN 
OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION WITH PRESIDENT 
BUSH WOULD BE VALUABLE.  CIAMPI SAID IT WAS NOT IMPORTANT 
THAT IT BE A STATE VISIT, AS LONG AS HE COULD HAVE A 
SUBSTANTIVE DISCUSSION WITH THE PRESIDENT, AS THEY DID LAST 
JULY IN ROME.  HE ADDED THAT HE VERY MUCH APPRECIATES THE 
PRESIDENT'S "HUMANITY, COMPASSION, AND STRAIGHTFORWARD 
APPROACH". 
 
7. (C) COMMENT: CIAMPI REMAINS FAR AND AWAY THE MOST POPULAR 
POLITICIAN IN ITALY (ACCORDING TO SOME POLLS, HE IS MORE 
POPULAR THAN SUCH VENERABLE INSTITUTIONS AS THE CARABINIERI 
AND THE CHURCH).  HE IS RESPECTED NOT ONLY AS THE ARCHITECT 
OF ITALY'S ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION IN THE 1990S, BUT ALSO FOR 
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THE CRUCIAL ROLE HE PLAYS IN STABILIZING ITALY'S DOMESTIC AND 
FOREIGN POLICIES.  THAT THE HEAD OF STATE OF A MAJOR AND 
STEADFAST NATO ALLY HAS NOT YET BEEN INVITED TO WASHINGTON IS 
AN ANOMALY THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED.  I STRONGLY SUPPORT A 
VISIT TO WASHINGTON THIS FALL AS A RECOGNITION OF ITALY'S 
STRONGLY SUPPORTIVE ROLE IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM, AND AS A 
VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PRESIDENT TO ENGAGE WITH A KEY 
OPINION SHAPER IN ITALY.  END COMMENT. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2002ROME00783 - Classification: CONFIDENTIAL